Torso of a Woman

myminifactory

Rodin's unencumbered approach to form, sources, and materials in his work foreshadows advancements in 20th-century sculpture. He studied classical art extensively and later created assemblages using various materials. Here, he has placed a bronze torso on a dramatically altered plaster cast of a classical marble pedestal from his own collection. The truncation of the torso makes it more abstract and less naturalistic. Rodin often asked his models to sit on the ground with their back to him, arms, and legs outstretched in front. "In that position," he said, "...the back, which narrows at the waist and enlarges at the hips resembles an exquisitely curved vase, an amphora that contains within its flanks the life of the future." By setting the torso on a classically-derived plinth, Rodin invites viewers to see the bronze as something set apart for admiration, just like an ancient Greek vase. A recent inspection of the bronze torso reveals many metal pins that held the sand core in position during the casting process.